Fan



1943- I. N. POLLINGHER 2,327,061

FAN

Filed Oct. 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l 15 um 70v, P01 aw zg/zcz' g- 1943-l. N. POLLINGHER 2,

FAN

Filed Oct. 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig. 9.

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Patented Aug. 17, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FAN Isidor N.Pollinzher, Boston, Mass. Application was. 14, 1939, Serial No. 299,4197 Claims. (01. 170-173) This invention relates to fans and has for itsprimary object to provide a fan of simple, inexpensive construction,preferably constructed of flexible material, as, for example, rubber orequivalent material, and having soft, flexible blades which do notrequire a protecting guard structure, and which upon being accidentallycontacted by the body of a person or other objeots will not cause injuryto said person or objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fan having a hub memberformed as a single piece of moulded rubber and provided with ears aroundwhich the blades of the fan are bent and formed and to which said bladesare secured in a manner to twist the blades and, therefore, provide apitch for the blades; the shape of the ears determining the degree ofsaid pitch and curvature of said blades.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a combinedstiflening member and securing means whereby the blades may bestrengthened and secured to the hub portion of the structure.

The invention consists of a fan as set forth in the followingspecification and particularly as pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a fan embodying the teachings of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fan.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a moulded unitary blade structure for thefan.

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modification of an individual bladeembodying the teachings of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of another modified type of unitary bladestructure cut from a piece of sheet material.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation, partly in section, illustrating anothermodified type of fan embodying the teachings of this invention.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of another modified type of individualblade.

9 is a front elevation illustrating a portion of another unitary bladestructure embodying the teachings of this invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawin s.

In the drawings, referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, l0represents a hub member constructed of a moulded material, preferablyflexible rubber or equivalent material, recessed at H for expandedapplication to a driving member,

as, for example, a driving shaft, or, the cylindrical portion of arotatable member to which it may be secured by expanded frictionalcontact or any other suitable means. Formed integral with the hub memberI0 is a flanged portion I2 having ears l3 embodied therein to which aunitary blade member I 4 having a plurality of blades I5 is secured bymeans ofrivets l6 and a suitable adhesive applied to adjacent contactingsurfaces at H. The blade member I4 is preferably moulded as one piece ofsoft, flexible rubber, and the head portions of the rivets l6 areembedded in said rubber, while the shank portion of the rivet projectsoutwardly through portions ll! of the blades which are bent or formedaround the ears III as illustrated in Fig. 4. The ears l3 are recessedat l9 and provided with a curved corner portion 20, and when the blademember I4 is attached to the hub member ID the portions 3 of the bladesare seated in the recesses l9 and the curved corner portion 20 of theear creates a twist in the blade l5 and provides the necessary pitch forthe blade. The tip portions of the blades l5 are preferably thinner thanthe central portion of the blade member.

It is evident that the hub member l0 may be formed of material otherthan rubber if it is so desired, and that different grades of rubber maybe utilized for the hub member and for the blade member. The importantconsideration is that the blades shall be soft and flexible in orderthat they will not injure objects which may accidentally come in contacttherewith.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modified type of individual blade 2|which may be applied to the hub member [0. The blade 2| is moulded ofsoft fiexible rubber and has a fiat metal stiffening member 22 embeddedtherein provided with a spur 23 at one end thereof which projectsoutwardly through a face of the blade and is utilized to secure aportion 24 of the blade to an ear [3 in the recess l9 therein in lieu ofa rivet. The blade 2| is also secured to the hub member III by asuitable adhesive applied to adjacent contacting surfaces of the bladeand hub member. The member 22 act to stiffen and shape that portion ofthe blade that is located adjacent to the hub member and where it isbent and formed around the ear l3.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated another modified type of blade member 25.This blade member is of the same general shape as the blade illustratedin Fig. 3 but is out from a single piece of soft, flexible sheetmaterial, preferably rubber, and is of uniform thickness throughout. Theblade member 23 is attached to a hub member It by means of a suitableadhesive and by means of rivets or other fastening members which may beinserted through portions 26 of said blade member that are seated in therecesses 19 of the ears l3.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated another modified embodiment of myinvention in which a fan has a hub member 21 embodied therein preferablyformed of moulded rubber flanged at 28 to provide ears 29 ofsubstantially the same formation as the ears l3 previously described.Blades 30 illust'rated in detail in Fig. 8 are moulded of soft flexiblerubber or equivalent material and have a metal fastening and stiffeningmember 3| embedded therein provided with spurs 32. The blades 30 aresecured to a face of the hub member 21 and to the ears 29 by means of asuitable adhesive and by means of the spurs 32 which are insertedthrough perforations 33 and 34 provided in the hub member and clinchedagainst the surface of an annular groove 35 formed as a part of acylindrical recess 36 which is utilized as the means for securing thefan to a rotary driving member as in the case of the fan illustrated inFig. 1. The ears 29 are shaped to provide the necessary pitch for theblade 30 as is the case of the ears l3 previously described.

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated still another modifled type of unitaryblade structure 31 moulded in a single piece of soft, flexible rubberhaving stiffening members 38 embedded therein pro-' the shape of theears where the blades are bent or formed therearound will determine thepitch for said blades. It is also evident that a cheaper and possibly aharder grade of rubber may be utilized for the hub portions of the fans,while a better and a softer grade of rubber may be utilized for theblades.

I claim:

1. A fan comprising a hub member formed entirely of flexible rubber forexpanded frictional application to a driving member, said hub having aplurality of ears formed integral therewith, and a plurality of softflexible blades secured to said hub member and formed around said earswhereby said blades are twisted while being applied to the ears toprovide a pitch therefor.

2. A fan comprising a hub member formed entirely of rubber and having aplurality of ears formed integral therewith, and a plurality of softflexible blades constructed in one piece and secu'red to said hub memberand formed around said ears whereby said blades are twistedautomatically during assembly while being applied to the ears to providea pitch therefor.

3. A fan comprising a hub member having a plurality of ears formedintegral therewith, a plurality of soft flexible blades positionedagainst a face of said hub member and bent around said ears whereby saidblades are twisted to provide a pitch therefor, and means moulded intosaid blades and projecting'therefrom to secure the blades to said faceof the hub member and to the ears thereof.

4. A fan comprising a hub member formed of moulded flexible material andhaving a plurality of ears moulded integrally therewith, a blade memberhaving a plurality of blades embodied therein and formed as a singlepiece of soft flexible material positioned against a face of said hubmember and formed around said ears whereby said blades are twistedautomatically when applied to said ears to provide a pitch" therefor,and means embedded in the blade member to secure said blade member tosaid hub member.

5. A fan comprising a hub member formed of a material having thecharacteristics of rubber and having a plurality of ears formed integraltherewith, a plurality of soft flexible'blades positioned against a faceof said hub member and bent around said ears whereby said blades aretwisted to provide a pitch therefor, and a flexible stiffening memberembedded in said blades and having spurs projecting therefrom to securethe blades to a face of thelhub member and to the ears thereof. v

6. Afan'comprising' a hub member formed-of moulded flexible material andhaving a plurality of ears formed integral therewith, a blade memberhaving a plurality'of blades embodied therein" and formed as a singlepiece of soft flexible ma-' terial positioned against a face of said hubmember and formed around said ears whereby said blades are twisted "toprovide a pitch therefor. and means embedded in theblade member tostiffen the blades thereof adjacent to the hub said

